Flames of Hope
by Atrum Artifex
Summary: After suffering from nightmares, Natsu is determined to end his problem and return to normal. When he finds out that his nightmares are a terrifying vision given to him by Igneel, Natsu is asked to go on a journey to end a war that Igneel started long ago.
1. Home Sweet Home

**Hello everyone! it's my first time crossing over to the Fairy Tail fandom and some of the work I've read as well as the anime have inspired me to take up writing again! Flames of Hope will be the first in a three part epic that will feature Natsu as the main character. I hope everyone will enjoy the story just as much as I enjoy writing it! **

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN FAIRY TAIL. ALL CREATIVE RIGHTS GO TO HIRO MASHIMA**

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Chapter 1: Home Sweet Home

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"Another mission done, but it was way too easy. The guys we beat up were not even tough at all!" A certain pink haired wizard although as happy as he was that the mission is complete was bored as a sloth at the enemies they took out.

"Aye it was too easy sir!" Happy said

"Come on Natsu; just be happy we finished this mission." Unfortunately for Natsu, his partner Lucy Heartfilia was not so thrilled at the end result.

"At least you didn't get stripped of clothes, lose your gate keys and get whipped for losing them by a ticked off mermaid."

"Aye Happy is happy that it went well."

With this most recent escapade completed Team Natsu returns home with their heads in defeat. This mission was simple: go in, defeat the thugs and get out. Unfortunately for the strongest team this simple mission left a lot to be desired and half a city gone.

"Well guys we destroyed half a city so we can say goodbye to the reward money that is promised, and have a pissed off master screaming down our throats… again." The young shirtless mage known as Gray Fullbuster said with complaint.

"Well ice boy here froze the city guard to death!" Natsu added

"You burned half the city and smashed through ten walls when you got sent flying! This should be coming out of your damn pocket you fire breathing prick!"

"Enough!" A loud thunderous voice boomed in the quiet forest. Walking behind them was a scarlet iron clad woman who had the abundance of eloquence and gracefulness of nobility, with the anger of a dragon. Erza Scarlet: the most prominent S-class mage in Fairy Tail was always the one breaking up fights between Natsu and Gray. Behind her iron armor was a small girl: no more than aged 12 quietly shaking in fear of the woman in front of her. Wendy Marvell is a new addition to Team Natsu, acting as the team medic. As powerful as she is, she is drained by the constant healing she had to do on Natsu and Gray. Dragged along on her feet and falling asleep, she was awakened by the booming commandeering presence that is Erza Scarlet.

"Okay we'll stop! no arguing here!" Gray began to panic and sweat with Natsu grabbing his arm and imitating happy.

"What are we going to do with you?" Lucy said in exasperation. "Now you guys got Wendy worked up when she should be resting."

"Sorry Wendy." Natsu and Gray apologized

Wendy only produced a nod as she was too tired to respond.

The rest of the trip was quiet, and morbid, as they could only wait for their usual punishment by Makarov leader of the guild. After days of walking they finally make it back to the Guild Hall. After seven years of absence from the world, the sight of their guild hall is still home. They all sighed as the judgment that they avoided in their Galuna Island mission would come back to bite them all.

* * *

After receiving their "punishment" (which consisted of public humiliation and running around naked in the streets for the guys, and a show for the guys put on by the girls (save for Wendy). They went their separate ways home.

_Today was a disaster. I hope we don't destroy another town in the next mission. Still it was fun as always. I hardly can believe we have been together for this long._ As long as she has been in Fairy Tail Lucy reflects on her day and how she will put her thoughts into words for her late mother's letter. _Regardless of how things are going I'm doing great mom, and another day of hard work is done._

As she finishes her thoughts she returns to her cozy apartment. However as she opens the door to her apartment she finds the lights on and sees her team having dinner on her wood table.

"Welcome home!" Gray and Erza manage to speak

"W-welcome h-ome Lucy." Wendy muttered

"Here it comes in three, two, o-" Before Natsu could count down Lucy hits him with her heavy luggage.

"Haven't we already done enough damage today!?" Lucy exclaimed loudly.

"It was Erza's idea that we should all have a sleepover." Gray added

"I understand Erza and Wendy, but you and Natsu are guys." After Lucy Finished her ranting, she took the suitcase she hit Natsu with, and placed it by her new queen-sized bed.

"We didn't have choice! She just barged down our doors and dragged us out of the house!" Gray said as he pointed to Erza. "I was just about to put my clothes on but I didn't get them in time."

"Oh stop it. I have your spares right here Gray." She hands the spare clothes she keeps for her childhood friend in case if he ever lost his clothes in some weird stripping event. "I thought it would be great to build more morale between our team."

_I already think that we have more than enough morale since we destroy buildings and have a mob run us out of what's left of town. _Lucy thought to herself.

* * *

After eating dinner the gang decided to head to sleep for the night. The room was dark and quiet save for a breeze gently flowing through Lucy's window. The quiet and the stillness would be broken by the stressful tossing and turning of the fire dragon slayer. As bare as his body is while sleeping he began to sweat hard and the sweat ran down his forehead like raindrops falling off a slanted edge. His already moist chest began to heat up with the fire swelling inside his body. With little tiny flames igniting on his chest there was no wonder Natsu became deeply involved in his dream.

Flames; there are flames spreading everywhere. Natsu as the dragon slayer who eats fire saw as the fire did its chaotic and destructive dance. Trying as he could to help pacify the flames by eating it he couldn't. People running to get away from the insanity that is destruction Natsu could only watch as people fled in fear, and corpses that littered the streets to pave the way for the harbinger of genocide. All Natsu could do was wait as the people try to flee, knowing that he could not save them. Natsu felt fear before, but this was an all-consuming, despairing fear. A fear for the people, fear for the destruction, and fear for his own helplessness. How he felt when his friend Lisanna was thought to be dead; How he felt when Lucy was kidnapped by Phantom Lord, and when Erza shed tears for Simon. It was the same shadow of despair and sorrow he felt as it crept up behind the tall proud mage of Fairy Tail. Its embrace, cold as the winter wind, gave him a chill as if he was blasted by Gray's Ice-Make magic.

'Is this how despair feels? Is this what everyone I helped also felt when they struggled? When they fell to their knees? When I picked them up to fight again? Is this feeling escapable?' Natsu began to ask these questions in his head as he saw the chaotic painting that is the destruction and death of the people flutter all about him. Suddenly he was slowly ascending to the night sky littered with the bright orange ground that is the town. As the very same feeling of despair left him, the heat began to become stronger.

'It's night it should be cold, so why do I…feel…hot?' Natsu began to realize that very same fear that first crept up his shoulder grab him by the neck. He couldn't breathe, couldn't speak with the wind being taken out of him. All he could do turn slowly. As he turned he saw an eye; a dragon's eye with its iris in the shape of a cross. Its four ways reaching north south east and west: a cross made just for Natsu one he couldn't escape or burn his way out of. The eye that stared at Natsu intently its gaze the embodiment of fear speaking to him like a whisper within the winds:

_Chaos and destruction imbued within thy flames_

_A fate all will abide_

_Thy cross will hold your broken body_

_In to thy hands you will DIE!_

"_NOOOOOO!" _Natsu woke up as quickly as he could. Everyone else that was sleeping soundly was woken up like an annoying alarm clock by Natsu's scream.

"dude its six in the morning, go back to sleep!' Gray threw a pillow at Natsu, as he stood there dazed from his dream.

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**Here is the end of the first chapter! As far as uploading goes I will continue to update in the weeks and months to come but with a catch: every ten chapters I publish will mark a break period for me to not only catch up but edit and rewrite the chapters I have already written. Thank you guys and please read and review my story and until the next chapter is up, keep on reading!**


	2. Search For Answers

**Hello Everyone! I'm here to give you guys another chapter of Flames of Hope. Thanks to everyone who read, reviewed, and followed my story to this point in time. Now I know that most people are wondering what will the pairings will be, all I can say is keep on reading to find out what will happen next! There is still so much left to tell!**

**I DO NOT OWN FAIRY TAIL MASHIMA-SENSEI DOES! (Otherwise I would have created it to be a dark story XD)**

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Chapter 2: The Search for Answers

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'Why do I keep having this same dream every night? It's pissing me off!' in the weeks that followed, Natsu began to lose sleep, and lose focus in battle. At first he passed it off as bad week, the rest of the group realizes that Natsu is slipping in skill. Natsu always finishes battles, but it's Erza that was picking up the slack for him recently. It's has become so troublesome that Happy began to keep his distance from Natsu, not knowing what to do in this situation.

'It has gotten so bad that I'm putting the whole group in danger! I need help with understanding this dream I'm having, but I don't know where to start.' Natsu quietly thought. His frustration at this dream weighs him down not only in skill, but in mind. In the recent weeks he also began to feel more down than usual, not being the life of the party as he had always been. 'I'll try asking Levy! She might be able to help me with understanding this. She's always been smart, maybe she knows something.'

* * *

Walking through the happy atmosphere that is the Fairy Tail guild, Natsu found Levy hanging out with her usual group shadow gear as well as Gajeel.

"Hey Levy" Natsu said in his usual tone.

"Hey Natsu" Levy was always in a happy mood, but with the mood that Natsu has written on his face it leaves a lot to be desired on her atmosphere

"Natsu are you alright?" Jet managed to say.

"You've been glum the past few weeks, and you're left with all these wounds." Droy also said

"Why you looking so glum Salamander; something got that fire in you?" Gajeel asked rudely.

"Gajeel!" Levy said. "Anyways what's wrong Natsu? You haven't been yourself recently. Anything you would like to talk about?"

"I'm okay, but there is something I would like to ask you." Natsu said rather seriously

"Sure what's on your mind?" Levy asked.

"You're into books and you're really smart. So what can you tell me about dreams? Even about dreams that happen over again?"

'If a dream is bothering him it must be serious.' Levy says to herself. "Well I have a few books that I have that can give you to read, and if you don't understand it I'll try to help as well."

"Sure thing!" Natsu smiled. However the smile was surreal like a jester's face paint, with Levy seeing right through it.

'Even though it's none of my business, I can't abandon Natsu to this by himself.' Levy analyzed his face giving her a hunch that this only the beginning of a new trial for Natsu to face.

"How about you come to my place in Fairy Hills? I give you better assistance there." Levy also asked him

"I thought I wasn't allowed in Fairy Hills." Natsu said

"Not when you need to do some work." Levy 's coded message brightened Natsu's face as he got the hint.

"Sure thing what time would be best?" Natsu asked

"We can leave now if you like."

"Alright then let's get going!"

With a mix reaction on Gajeel and looks of disappointed men not being able to get laid tonight, Natsu went back in his serious tone and spoke to them

"I'll bring her back I promise guys. I just need help with this." Natsu turned around and what Gajeel saw in his face was a look of fear and uncertainty as if he knows he's not walking out of a fight alive. Natsu and Levy silently left the guild hall and went straight to Fairy Hills.

* * *

"I'm really worried about Natsu. He's been like this for three weeks already." Happy said in sorrow. Three weeks since he started hearing Natsu scream into the night and waking up frantic.

"Wendy you sure that this is not just a dragon slayer problem we need to worry about?" Carla said.

"I-I'm sure it isn't. It's only happening to Natsu, or otherwise Gajeel as well as I would be affected too." Wendy always worried over everyone in the guild, especially for Natsu. As the days turned into weeks he had more cuts and scrapes, she often healed and tended to in her spare time.

"More importantly why are you here with us Happy? Shouldn't you be off with Natsu? She could use the company as well." Carla asked with her eyebrows tipping downward in frustration.

"Natsu looks like he needs space I can't really be a bother to him right now." Happy said with a sorrowful look. "Aye as for why I'm with you guys, Wendy needs all the company she can get, and going with Natsu to get his wounds checked every day, it just stuck."

Carla began to mull over Wendy's current emotional state. 'I agree with Happy on this. Her emotions have been getting the better of her since she first started healing Natsu's wounds. As well as putting into account the stress of seeing Natsu depressed doesn't help improve her dilemma.'

"I don't know Carla what should I do?" Both Happy and Carla looked at Wendy and saw the tears on her fair skinned face. Her tears and her heart screaming for Natsu to return to normal was all that Wendy asked for.

"Natsu will pull through I'm sure." Carla began to reassure her like any mother would. Happy could see how much Wendy was suffering.

Suddenly Happy began to hear voices outside of Wendy's room. He heard Levy talking to another male and the echoes passed through the thin walls.

"Natsu, my room is just down the hall from here." Levy said to him quietly

'Natsu's here? Why is he here? If this is a good chance to find out then I'd better let Wendy and Carla know.' Happy thought to himself.

"Wendy if you want to know what's going on with Natsu now's your chance."

"Where are we going?" Wendy asks Happy. Carla also gives a questioning look to the blue exceed.

"We're going to Levy's room."

Levy's room was always filled with books, almost as if she had a mini library within them. Seeing her look through her books diligently was something Natsu always admired about Levy.

"Okay first question: why did you ask me instead of Lucy or Erza?" Levy continued to search for the book in question as she went through rows and rows of books.

"You have more stuff to draw on. I know they're my friends but I can't exactly tell them the whole reason why just yet, because I don't understand this myself." Natsu began to look away from Levy's eyes and observed the room around him. "I don't want to get blasted for this especially by Gray."

'He really seems focus and determined to figure this out. It may be a different feeling from Natsu, but his motivation is still the same.' Levy says to herself.

"So what's this dream of yours Natsu do you mind telling me about it?" Levy asked. "It might be able to help with finding a book that can help you understand it better."

"I was hoping to avoid talking about it but I guess I have no choice." Natsu said. "It starts out when I see a town in flames. People running everywhere bodies all over the street.."

Natsu observes Levy taking notes as she writes down details to help her in her search.

"Okay; anything else you remember?"

"I can see myself flying away from the town and I'm in the night sky and the town burns… then I feel as if something is behind me watching my every move. I turn around to see who is then" Natsu suddenly stops and his eyes roll as if he moved into a trance like state.

"Natsu?" Levy could only utter as she watches Natsu's unusual behavior.

Natsu began to utter the same line told to him again and again in the dream, but it turned into something foreign and unintelligible to Levy. After snapping out of his trance he collapsed with a sound of thunder.

"Natsu!" a voice said as she runs past Levy "Say something! Please!"

"Wendy? Is that you?" Natsu said as he mustered his remaining strength to open his eyes. Natsu aggressively tried to lift his arm but he couldn't feel it as it was as numb and cold like ice.

"You scared me Natsu. I was worried that you could have died." Wendy began to cry. Natsu was like an older brother to her, one of the strongest people she has ever met and continually relied on him for strength. To see her "big bro" in this weak state made her worry.

"I'm fi—"It was all Natsu said before he became unconscious and motionless like a rock.

'I feel cold, nothing but cold; no fire, no warmth and no strength. I'm just here waiting in the dark.'

'_Natsu' _

'_Igneel!'_

The darkness that is Natsu's mind is illuminated by white light. Clouds began to form with a radiant yellow sunrise as far as any eye could see.

'Natsu…..open your eyes boy'. A loud thunderous voice echored throughout the tranquil sign as if it wanted Natsu to know that "it" existed that I'm here though you cannot see it. Natsu began to open his eyes and found out he was floating in the sky. In front of him he saw a familiar face that he had been searching for a long time.

"Igneel" was all Natsu could mutter.

"Natsu I do not have time to explain, you must listen and listen carefully" As happy and as joyous as he was to see Natsu again, Igneel had little time for small talk. "The world is in danger. The Dragons will rise again and the Dragon Emperor will reclaim and oppress the entire world, and all of human kind with it."

"What do you mean? I thought the dragons are all gone!" Natsu felt more confused and bewildered by this sudden situation

"The dragons that lived in Earth-Land were exiled from another land, for rebelling against the Dragon Emperor." Igneel began to speak in a mournful tone. "I helped these dragons in defense of the humans, but we failed and the humans who inherited our powers slaughtered."

"What does that have to do with me?" Natsu asked

"More is to be revealed to you in time. You must heed my instructions and go back to the place where we had lived together. There is something that I want you to have; something that only you can wield."

Before Natsu could say anything the image of Igneel began to fade into ashes. As he tried to grab and reach for his foster father, Natsu felt the remains of Igneel flow through his hand and fly through the current reality that stood before him. As he turned around he saw the very same bright light envelop the landscape that is his dream. The light consumes Natsu, and his dream fades to white.

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**A/N: That's it for Chapter 2. A bit of good news to all readers and followers; I am done planning the first ten chapters of the story, and am currently writing out the 6th chapter as we speak. Thank You and don't forget to read and review! Until the next chapter keep on reading!**


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